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Thea Silversprout
"I technically can't deny that." - In response to being called a child. Oh thank the gods, this one for sure is not one of my kids! - Atmos Slibard Thea Silversprout is one of the protagonists in the Beta campaign of the Contested Lineage/Legacy. She is a halfling teenager, four years from the age of maturity. She is relatively naive, driven, tends to put a bit too much faith in the rules, and typically the moral compass of the group, though currently undergoing a moral crisis. Currently she has not made an appearance in the Alpha campaign. Early Life Thea grew up as the youngest of a 'noble' family in the Northern Coalition, in the city of Winterwood that her family established deep in the forest, between the mountains, a grove of silver birch, and a large lake. The city started out as a safe haven for the 'small' races, such as Halflings, Gnomes, Goblins, and Dwarves, but as time progressed taller races came and the city expanded to what it is today. The city operates under a meritocracy, with the Silversprouts as the 'nobles', in that the rest of the city are pleased with how the Silversprouts have developed the city and have left them and their family in charge since the city's creation. As the youngest in the family, Thea had a great deal of freedom in what she could do, as it was up to the older triplets Reed, Rubellia, and Rush to begin learning how to manage the city after Perrin retired. She spent a majority of her time flitting between the library, the city guards, and the magic guild practitioners. While she thought she was cleverly disguised as a random halfling child the city guards, the captain Mika in particular, knew her as the youngest Silversprout child and thus took some care when she approached them asking to learn how to fight. They taught her how to shoot bows, crossbows mainly, and once in a while let her practice with a dagger or a sword. The magic guild, on the other hand, encouraged her curiosity and wanderlust, taking her out into the surrounding forests and watching as she took on multiple wild animals. While Thea did not have innate magic, they gave her multiple magic texts to study from in the hopes that she would be able to learn magic as a wizard does. "Hey, have you seen Thea today?" "I think she was still in bed." *cut to Thea in the forest riding a wild boar, mages surrounding her and clapping rhythmically* "If you stay on for 3 minutes I'll try to teach you mage hand!" She spent a lot of time in the library with her brother Aris, or in his workshop where she watched and helped him with his various creations. He taught her many different ways to tinker but she never was as proficient with the tools as he was, and ended up spending hours just watching him make various mechanical items and listening to him explain how they worked. She personally preferred researching various aspects of history and science, different tidbits spread across many different topics. Thea was never a particularly convincing talker, leaving that up to her more charismatic older siblings, but once she had injured herself while with the mages in the forest, her parents decided she should take a break from her mild adventuring and instead develop her speaking skills. She didn't interact too much with her other siblings and thus her interpersonal skills had started to become stunted, so they sent her with two of her older siblings, Rubellia and Aris, on a simple trade renegotiation. Family Kay * Kay works with the Council of Twenty in the capital, and thus spends a lot of her time away from home. She writes her family constantly, and always makes trips back out to Winterwood when she has the chance. She has taken to teaching Rubellia on how to act in diplomatic situations as her daughter has expressed interest into entering politics. Perrin * Perrin spends most of his time managing the industry of the city and ensuring that the city doesn't go bankrupt, and that the citizens remain safe. A loving father, he spends a lot of time at home with his family, encouraging them to improve their interests while teaching Reed how to one day take management of the city. Reed * Eldest of the Silversprout children, Reed was the first born out of the triplets. Perrin has taken to teaching her how to manage the city, imparting his industrialist knowledge and know-how. While technically the same age as Rubellia and Rush, she acts more maturely than her siblings. Rubellia * Second born of the triplets, Rubellia has been taught by her mother Kay on the ins-and-outs of diplomatic conversation and negotiation, and like her mother plans to one day be on the Council of twenty, if not working under them in the Capital. She was last seen with her brother Aris taken to the Underdark due to Avitus Cassian and The Pillarmen. Rush * Third born of the triplets, Rush was far less interested in managing the city as opposed to working with her hands. While she has been taught a bit of how to manage Winterwood, she prefers to spend most of her time in the carpenters guild carving various sculptures or creating elaborate pieces of woodwork, practical or otherwise. Aris * Fourth born and the first son, Aris spent most of his time in the library and in the company of many metalworkers and mechanics in Winterwood. He prefers to tinker and create and loves to read the latest scientific journals on mechanical engineering. While not a talker, he had a good relationship with his youngest sister Thea. He was last seen with his sister Rubellia being taken to the Underdark. Lil * Fifth born child of the Silversprout family, Lil doesn't mind their birth name but prefers others refer to them as Lil. They spend most of their time out by the lake with the fishermen or in the family kitchen, helping cook meals for their family or for others. They love to take walks in the forest, scavenging for different mushrooms and edible plants. Plea * Sixth born of the Silversprouts, Plea likes to mimic her sister Reed and aims to help manage the city when Perrin retires, though her focus is more on the economic aspects of ensuring the quality of life of the citizens and that they dealt in trade at a fair price. She has been seen more frequently in the company of Mika, the captain of the city guard, and has started taking lessons in self defence. Karka * Seventh child of the Silversprouts, Karka spends most of their time in the library. A well spoken child, Karka likes to write -- both fiction and non fiction, taking records of going-ons in Winterwood while creating stories as well. They have expressed interest in entering one of the bardic colleges in The Northern Coalition. Backstory Thea had been sent on what was supposed to be a simple diplomatic mission with her sister Rubellia and brother Aris. Her parents wanted her to begin developing her charisma, as to this point she was considered more of a wild child. While Rubellia was the talker, Aris came along in order to present and explain technological aspects of the gifts they were bringing. They were to renegotiate and restart a trade deal with a city close to the border of The Empire. During their journey their cart was ambushed. As the smallest and stealthiest of her siblings, she was able to get away, but the fate of Rubellia and Aris was left to the unknown. Alone and practically penniless in the Empire, Thea began posing as a human child in order to avoid unwanted attention by the citizens of the empire. It was during this time that she met The Steel Maiden, and the two had come to an agreement that in order to avoid more suspicion by others that travelling together as "Bodyguard and Charge" would be best -- it would prevent The Steel Maiden more hassle due to her being an Orc, and would give Thea a stronger companion to work with. Thea pre-campaign had been spending her time trying to make money so she could head back home while also looking for the whereabouts of her two missing siblings, who she feared may be dead. The Beta Campaign The Imperial Capital Thea and The Steel Maiden hear of the Empress' death at a play that Thea had dragged the older orc woman to. It was there that they came across Vladimir Reagan, Drungpo, and Keziah, others that did not seem particularly saddened by the late Empress' death. At this point, Hagar was summoned to the Imperial Capital due to her being a priestess of Kord -- the others were headed to the capital for their own reasons. On the way, the caravan was ambushed by the Goblin Liberation Front. Thea, confused, stayed on The Steel Maiden's shoulders with her hand crossbow. A confrontation was avoided due to Keziah's use of Compel Duel, and the group parted amicably -- or, that's what should have happened. A man wearing a horse-hair decorated helmet, accompanied by a troupe of Imperial soldiers, came down from the road and massacred the goblins. They released a stream of arrows before making their way through the bodies, ensuring that each and every goblin ended up dead. The troupe disappeared back down the road, and the group made no move to follow. At the capital, The Steel Maiden was approached by other priests of Kord. Thea, upon learning Drungpo had never eaten pastries (only yak butter tea), took her to a bakery and bought a cookie to share. The Steel Maiden had loaned her symbol of Kord so that the two would not be harassed on their own. Eventually, the group met up in a large temple, where they had gathered for a speech by the Grand Hierophant. During the speech, the man with the horse-hair hat reappeared, speaking with a stuttering voice, and was revealed to be General Brassidas, commander of the Imperial armed forces. The speech had taken a turn for the worst, and Vladimir threw down a magic marble, creating two large Mastiffs. On the way out of the temple, The Steel Maiden grabbed one of the speculated drugged pies at the banquet -- Thea wanted to eat one. The Steel Maiden didn't let her. The group followed Vladimir into the Midnight District of the Imperial Capital, where he led them to a tavern that had accommodations for allies of the mafia. While there, Thea was given alcohol by The Steel Maiden and was instantly intoxicated. Her older orc friend ended up switching the mead for simple water. Vladimir and one of his compatriots (name) approached The Steel Maiden for a job -- to find and protect his daughter, Hypacia Jones, who had been receiving uncomfortable romantic letters and was being stalked. Thea at this point wandered over and demanded to be a part of the quest, along with Drungpo and Keziah. (Name) agreed, and the group retired for the night. The Search for Hypacia Jones The group heads to the University district to the Imperial University the following morning, where they're given many strange looks due to their party's racial makeup. Thea sat upon The Steel Maiden's shoulders and directed her from room to room, looking for Hypacia Jones' office. The Steel Maiden walked into a classroom with guest lecturer John C. Legume, a Dryad hailing from the province of Dixie. He had been lecturing on the 'inferiorities' of certain species. The Steel Maiden, playing off her blindness and obvious orc stature, ended up tossing multiple chairs and one student, who was still sitting in their chair. Thea quickly directed them out of the room, but not before Legume left the room outraged. The Steel Maiden damaged the door on the way out. After a few more directions, the whole group found the office where Hypacia Jones should have been having office hours. It was trashed, many things strewn about the room, with the back window open. Vlad made his way out the window while Thea and the rest of the group made their way around the building to find marks of a struggle leading to an ajar sewer grate, which The Steel Maiden threw like a hula hoop, incidentally hitting John C. Legume. Thea was the first to jump down into the sewer, followed by the rest of the group. She stealthed underneath an overturned cardboard box and went ahead of the group as a scout. She found Hypacia, unconscious, with a Gnoll and a Hobgoblin, talking to each other about General Brassidas. Before she could report back to the others, the group came upon them and initiated combat. Thea shot bolts from under her box before stabbing the Gnoll repeatedly in the ankles, taking out their legs. After a brief interrogation and explanation that Hypacia was to be taken to General Brassidas who had fallen in love with her, the group slit the Gnoll's throat, which Thea protested against, and took the seal of the General. They left the dead bodies and took Hypacia back to her father, and suggested that the two of them go into hiding. Cold Warfare Meeting General Brassidas Soon after they were approached by a rather official looking carriage, with an elf man soon revealed to be Count Bertholt von Hapsberg sitting inside. The Steel Maiden, in response to the Count wishing to speak with them, picked up Thea and held her through the open window, before Vlad attempted to attack the Count. Thea gripped onto The Steel Maiden's Great Axe and was thrust through the ceiling of the carriage, clinging onto it as assorted other members of the group damaged the carriage, with The Steel Maiden taking out one of the wheels. As it began to move away, Thea still on the roof, Drungpo latched on to the carriage and the two of them rode off in the direction of General Brassidas' manor, the rest of the group following at a distance. General Brassidas' manor was surrounded by dark rain clouds and lightning. Thea and Drungpo wait until Count Hapsberg, disgruntled and irritated by the bumpy carriage ride, and his guards enter the manor before coming down from the carriage. Drungpo transformed into a robotic servant in response to General Brassidas' robotic butler, Mr. Butlertron, in order to sneak inside, while Thea searched for an open window and an opportunity to enter. She found one opening into the General's study, but had to wait until both the General and Count Hapsberg left. While waiting, she overheard their plot to assassinate the lowborn daughter of the late Empress and current ruler, Shiryan. During this time the rest of the group arrived. Keziah and The Steel Maiden ran around releasing the General's horses, while Vlad broke in through one of the upper story windows and began to Wreak Havoc. During this distraction, Thea was able to slip inside and snoop around the General's room. She found multiple love letters and poorly written love poetry, which she grabbed and stashed, along with one of his personal daggers. During this time, Drungpo attempted to start a robot revolution which failed upon learning Mr. Butlertron was the only robotic servant left, and that General Brassidas had killed and consumed the other servants. However, the distraction from Vlad did not last long, and the General soon returned from upstairs, encountering The Steel Maiden who had been let in under the guise that she was a fellow follower of Kord who came to discuss religion with him. While attempting to hide behind a curtain, she was caught and seized by the General, and she immediately pretended to be nothing more than a young human child who had wandered in. "What is this?" "A child." "Can it be improved upon?" "No!" After being rescued by The Steel Maiden, who convinced the General Brassidas to release Thea into her custody as Thea was her Charge, the two rejoined with the rest of the party as Vlad burned down the Manor. The group made their way back to the Midnight District and to the tavern, where they turned in for the night. The next morning they awoke to news that the General had burned and razed one of the outer ring districts of the capital. Meeting Crown Princess Shiryan Thea spent much of that morning attempting to and finally convincing the rest of the group that they should visit the Crown Princess and warn her of the upcoming assassination attempt. At this point the group split, with Drungpo (disguised as Haruhi Suzumiya), Vlad (who, beard shaved, posed as a regular halfling), and Thea headed to the Princess while The Steel Maiden went to find a temple of Kord. Keziah had, at this point, disappeared into the city. Thea, Drungpo, and Vlad were let in to see the Princess in her study, brought in by her dwarvish guard. While it started off amicably, the conversation quickly turned to her assassination attempt being plotted by General Brassidas and Count von Hapsberg. After some deliberation, she requested the group head to the Northern Coalition as her representatives and speak with the Council of Twenty, in order to negotiate a peace between the two nations in light of the current cold war. It was here that Thea discovered that slavers from Dixie had been roaming near the boarder between the two countries, and that it was likely her siblings were taken by one of their bands. Near the end, the Princess expressed some xenophobic sentiments, and while the group left with a smile and the personal seal of the Princess, Thea ended up ranting just outside the palace where they met up with The Steel Maiden "Civilized? She thinks we need to be civilized? Who does she think she is, calling the North uncivilized? I can't believe this!" Meeting Helmut After being calmed down by Drungpo, the group headed towards the train that connected The Empire to the Northern Coalition. However, on the way, the ground beneath their feet disappeared and the group fell into a subterranean passaged, where most of them were captured by a group of Juggalos. Thea managed to slip away and sneak along, underneath another overturned box, while Drungpo managed to disguise herself as one of the Juggalos and follow along. The Juggalos lead them into a large room where they encountered the Grand Hierophant, in his true form of a large, cannibalistic Ogre. He was intent on sacrificing their group, The Steel Maiden in particular, but was stalled by her -- this gave enough time for Thea and Drungpo to create a small distraction. Using Minor Illusion in tandem, the two of them made the sound of approaching guards, causing most of the Juggalos to flee. However, during their distraction, the group heard the curious sounds of music and the clopping of hooves. A large, older man in armour burst into the cavern on horse back, music blaring behind him, and while laughing he charged headfirst at the Grand Hierophant. A battle broke out, with Thea and Drungpo providing support from afar -- the latter melting off the Grand Hierophant's armour. The Steel Maiden gave the finishing blow against the ogre, and took the Hierophants weapon with her. With the rest of the group freed, they introduced themselves to the sudden arrival. He gave his name -- Helmut Leberecht von Humboldt-Würtenburg-Hohenstaufen III -- and that of his steed, Brunhilda, and the two joined the group on their way up to The Northern Coalition. They made it onto the train with only little hassle, though with a few odd looks. The train was stopped at the border, and the group -- in particular Drungpo and The Steel Maiden -- began to be harassed by the human members of the border patrol, until Helmut and Drungpo managed to talk their way out by pretending to be aligned with General Brassidas, flashing his seal. The border guards quickly changed their tune and moved on soon after, stating that the group served the true ruler to The Empire. As the train moved away, the group managed to catch glimpses of many weapons being stockpiled at the border, with many soldiers milling about, before they entered the tunnel that led the train to The Northern Coalition. In The North Upon arrival in the capital of the Northern Coalition, the group made their way to the Troll's Flagon for a meal and an evenings rest. There they made fast friends with the barkeep, a troll named Tormund. It was here that the group found out that Helmut was known throughout The Northern Coalition. Thea had gotten her hands on some mead while The Steel Maiden and Helmut had a competition to see who could lift the most people at one time. The Steel Maiden won by adding Tormund onto her shoulders, and while Helmut had given an honest fight he crumbled under the weight of the bars patrons. Thea wrote a letter to her mother and the Council of Twenty, requesting a return response be sent to Winterwood, and sent it the next morning. The group wandered around for a little bit before they decided to head to the train station -- The Steel Maiden finally reconnecting with Kord her god, after asking for directions to the train station after prodding by Thea. "Where's the train station?" "Why don't you ask your god?" "Fine. Hey Kord, where's the train station?" "It's down a couple blocks and to the left." "What!?" At the train station the attendant recognized Thea as a Silversprout, and after brief conversation received many confused looks from the rest of the party. On the train heading to the station closest to Winterwood, Helmut, Thea, and The Steel Maiden agreed to share parts of their story with each other as Drungpo, Vlad, and Keziah were in another cart. Thea shared that she was born in the north, in the city her ancestors founded called Winterwood, with many siblings and caring parents. She also shared that two of her siblings were missing: Rubellia and Aris. The Steel Maiden told them that she was likely born somewhere in the north, and that her sister may be still alive. Helmut shared quite happily stories of his children and grandchildren, and his arrangement with Brunhilda. The train arrived at the town of Hygeong, and upon exit Helmut was nearly swarmed by citizens. The group met a few of his former adventuring partners, and they were all invited to a wedding of two local bugbear women. After a night of revelry where much food and drink and cake was consumed in pure Northern fashion, the group set out through the woods the next day towards Winterwood. However, along the way, Thea heard the faint sound of a trumpet -- the same style of music she had heard before her carriage was attacked. She quickly donned her hat, convincing Helmut and Keziah to pose as her fake human parents, before a large band of Dixie slavers from the Tree Trunk Troop appeared. The multitude of Dryads approached the party, the leader Nathan Branchford Forest speaking to them. After a bit of discussion in regards to the location of Winterwood (definitely not this direction) and intense persuasion, The Steel Maiden convinced the dryad leader to eat the drugged pie she still had in her possession from the Grand Hierophant's speech in the temple a few days prior. After consuming the pie, the dryad was easily turned in the wrong direction, heading instead towards the large lake in the forest as opposed to the actual Winterwood. Once the band was out of sight, the group finished walking the rest of the way to the city, where they were approached by a few city guards. Thea at this point had taken off her hat and showed the necklace that bore the Silversprout crest, which she had been wearing under her armour. Mika, a large orc woman and captain of the guard, quickly made her way over and Thea scrambled up onto the woman's shoulders. After introducing the rest of the party and many hugs, Thea explained what happened to her carriage as well as what she last knew of her brother and sister on the way to the Silversprout manor at the center of town, where they were greeted by the goblin housekeeper, (NAME). They were all invited inside just as Perrin, Thea's father, returned with a few of Thea's siblings from the lake. After another reunion, everyone was invited to a hearty lunch, where Helmut and The Steel Maiden had a competition to see who could make the most unusual tea out of everything on the table. Brunhilda watched on, neighing in exasperation as her table manners were far more advanced than that of her partner's. Thea, after revelling in the presence of being at home with her family once more, told her father what has happened -- both of her siblings, but also of the Dixie dryads they had encountered. Perrin sent word to Mika and began to prepare the city for a confrontation that was sure to occur tomorrow. The group spent the night in Winterwood, and the next day prepared for the Dryad's return. Once the trumpets had been sounded, some very quick planning took place between Drungpo, Keziah, and Mika, with Thea advocating for a nonviolent approach and The Steel Maiden suggesting that their group run out and away as a distraction to protect the city. However, Keziah made a deal with the Dryads, and challenged (compulsed) Forest to a duel, where should the Dryads lose they were to never return -- but, should Keziah lose, Winterwood would be invaded and at the least all Gnomes were to be handed over. After a long, arduous fight, Keziah came out victorious and Winterwood was saved. Soon after the battle finished, a letter came from Kay, Thea's mother, saying that the Council of Twenty had accepted their meeting, and wanted to see them at their earliest convenience. The group said their goodbyes -- however, Perrin took Thea aside and stressed the importance of finding her siblings, and quickly. He told her of the Butcher of Dixie, Oakley Boughregard, and that should she encounter him to take extreme caution, as he had been responsible for the death of many, many halflings. They make their way back to the capital, where they head to the center and meet up with Thea's mother. The Council of Twenty Dixie and the Silversprouts The Seeds of Revolution Finding Atmos (At Most Amos) Personality Relationships with other Late Heroes Current Inventory Armour * +1 Cyan Studded Leather Armour; Lightning Resistant Weapons * +1 Dagger; One of General Brassidas' personal daggers * Dagger; Common * Hand Crossbow ** Crossbow Bolts x38 * Sunblade ** Longsword, deals fire damage when activated Misc * Bag of Holding ** over 1million gold in party funds * Baby Tooth (Thea's) x1 * Torches x10 * Flint and Steel x1 * Waterskin x2 * Bedroll x1 * Backpack x1 * 50ft rope (hempen) x1 * Mess Kit (cup, plate, cutlery, pan) * 31 magic beans * Disguise Kit * Goggles of the Eagle ** Advantage on vision perception checks; Darkvision (when worn) Personal Funds * CP: 00 * SP: 8 * GP: 00 * PP: 38 Spells Cantrips * Minor Illusion * Dancing Lights 1st Level * Shield * Longstrider * Protection from Good and Evil * Burning Hands 2nd Level * Darkness * Invisibility Stats Fighter; 9th level * Eldritch Knight Archetype ** Weapon Bond: Over the course of one hour, you can bond with up to two weapons. You cannot be disarmed of these weapons unless incapacitated, and if it is on the same plane of existence you can summon the weapon to your hand as a bonus action. ** War Magic: If you use your action to cast a cantrip, you may make one weapon attack as a bonus action * Archer Fighting Style ** +2 to hit when using a ranged weapon * Action Surge ** Once per short or long rest, you may take an additional action on your turn * Extra attack ** Can attack twice in one round * Second Wind ** Once per short or long rest, use a bonus action to regain hp equal to 1d10 + fighter level * Indomitable ** Can reroll one saving throw once per long rest Feats Crossbow Expert * You ignore the loading quality of crossbows with which you are proficient. * Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. * When you use the Attack action and attack with a one handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a hand crossbow you are holding. Sharpshooter * Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. * Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover. * Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage. Gallery Category:Characters Category:Beta Campaign Category:Late Heroes Category:Northerners